The SEI helps advance software engineering principles and practices and serves as a national resource in software engineering, computer security, and process improvement. The SEI works closely with defense and government organizations, industry, and academia to continually improve software-intensive systems. Its core purpose is to help organizations improve their software engineering capabilities and develop or acquire the right software, defect free, within budget and on time, every time.

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Using ArchE in the Classroom: One Experience

The ArchE (Architecture Expert) tool serves as a software architecture design assistant. This report describes the use of a pre-alpha release of ArchE in a graduate-level software architecture class at Clemson University.

Abstract

The Architecture Expert (ArchE) tool serves as a software architecture design assistant. It embodies knowledge of quality attributes and the relation between the achievement of quality attribute requirements and architecture design. This technical note describes the use of a pre-alpha release of ArchE in a graduate-level software architecture class at Clemson University.

ArchE was used to assist the students in the architecting process. The tool was then evaluated by the students and instructor. The instructor felt that ArchE met his objectives as a pedagogical tool. The students, although critical of the pre-alpha status of ArchE, were enthusiastic about the benefits of having the step-by-step guide to the architect's designing process as provided by ArchE.